Senators Face Tough Decisions On Stem Cell Bill

An issue of high emotion and high anxiety waits for Missouri lawmakers in the last weeks of this legislative session – stem cell research. The big question is whether the Senate will ever get to a vote on Senator Matt Bartle’s bill banning fetal stem cell research. Both parties are divided on the issue, but the consensus is that the bill lacks the votes to pass. Senate Majority Leader Charlie Shields of St. Joseph decides when bills come up. He does not expect this to be an issue worth staying up all night to decide. Both parties are divided; both parties have several members trying to decide what their positions are. President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons of Kirkwood thinks there will be extensive debate, but he’s not sure the issue will come to a vote.